Something’s changed…

Aether woke up with a start, feeling strange. He felt as if something changed, though he couldn't figure out what…

He looked around, only to realize he was no longer at the mountain. He got up, looking around. His surroundings were strange, to say the least. Trees taller than his grandfather, the ground dry and cracked, the sky unable to be seen through the thick foliage created by the trees.

He heard something moving directly towards him. He swiveled his head toward the sound, only to see a bear inches away from his face. He barely managed to yank his head out of the way before the bear took it off.

If it was a normal bear he wouldn't be afraid, but the bear was anything but normal. It was just as big as him, with fangs protruding out of its mouth and claws longer than his.

As Aether prepare to fight it, he slowly realized what had changed. As he reached out for the mana nearby, he found nothing. Panicked, he reaches for the mana in his soul space, only to come to the realization that…

There was nothing there.

There's no mana.